Coasting device



Oct 7, A. M. FLANDERS El AL 2,176,397

COASTING DEVICE Filed March 21, 1939 M m NW m NW1 kw o o Q A. M. F/amd J TDeSSure Patented Oct. 17, 1939 2,176,397

UNITED STATES FA'E'NT QEFHCE.

COASTING DEVICE Allen M. Flanders and Joseph T. Dessureau, Barre, Vt.

Application March 21, 1939, Serial No. 263,242

3 Claims. (01. 28016) The invention aims to provide a rather simple latter against downward sliding on said post. and inexpensive, yet a very desirable coasting The stops 23 may well be formed by heads of a device of novel construction to yieldably support rivet 24 which secures a plug 25 in the lower end the riders weight. of the post !5, said plug being formed on the A further object is to provide a novel runner upper end of a small vertical plate 26 which is 5 construction which may be easily and inexpeninstrumental in connecting the lower end of the sively manufactured from sheet metal, yet will post with the front supporting member ID. The be strong and durable and will prevent side slip rear end of the bar i2 is preferably given a on soft snow, snow crust and ice. quarter twist 2'! to dispose it in a vertical longi- With the foregoing and minor objects in View, tudinal plane to aid in establishing the connecthe invention resides in the novel subject mattion it between said bar and the rear supporting ter hereinafter described and claimed, descripmember H. The front and rear connections I3 tion being accomplished by reference to the acand it will be hereinafter explained more fully companying drawing, after a description of the supporting members Figure 1 is a side elevation. l0 and H. As these members are duplicates in 15 Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 are detail sectional views the present disclosure, a description of one will on lines 22, 33, l4 and 55 of Figure 1, suffice, the member it] being selected.

respectively. An elongated sheet-metal runner plate 28 is A preferred construction has been illustrated provided having an upwardly curved front end and will be rather specifically described, with 29, the longitudinal edges of said plate being 20 the understanding, however, that within the bent downwardly at obtuse angles as shown at scope of the invention as claimed, variations 39 to prevent side slip on snow crust and ice. may be made. Moreover, while we have shown Plate 28 is also provided with a central longituthe device as provided with supporting memdinal upwardly stamped portion 3| providing the bers in the form of runners for use on snow and lower side of said plate with a groove to prevent 25 ice,.it is well within the scope of the invention side slip on soft snow. Two parallel vertical to provide supporting members in the form of gussets 32, formed from sheet metal, are diswheels for use upon sidewalks, roadways and posed longitudinally over the runner plate 28 the like, if desired. and at their lower edges contact with the up- 30 Over the front and rear members it! and H, wardly stamped ridge 33 which provides the 30 is a longitudinally arched bar l2 which is prefgroove 3!, said lower edges of said gussets beerably formed from spring steel, the rear end ing bent laterally outward to provide flanges 34 of said bar being connected at l3 with the rear which are secured by rivets 35 or by any other supporting member H. The front end of the suitable means upon the plate 28, not only sebar it. is formed with an opening it through curely mounting the gussets 32 but reinforcing 35 which a steering post l5 passes rotatably, the said plate 28. The front and rear ends of the lower end of said steering post being connected gussets 32 are preferably inclined and their edges at 16 with the front supporting member it. The are provided with inwardly stamped portions 36 upper end of the post I5 is provided with handle which are welded or otherwise secured together,

40 bars or the like I! and provision is preferably holding said gussets in rigid spaced relation and 40 made for adjusting them vertically, for instance, providing for a strong structure with light maby providing the bolt 58 and the adjusting openterial. ings [9. A second longitudinal bar 20 which is The plate 26 or the rear end of the bar l2, also preferably formed from spring steel, is seas the case may be, extends downwardly between cured between its ends upon the upper portion the two gussets 32 and is formed with an openof the bar l2, by means of rivets or the like 26. ing 31 receiving a spacer 38 which contacts with A seat 22 is secured upon the rear portion of the inner sides of said gussets and is secured in this bar 20, and the front end of said bar is place by a bolt 39, providing an effective pivot formed with an. opening 2| through which the which allows vertical oscillation of the runner 5O steering post I5 extends. Cotter pins 22 are or ski. 5

shown passing through the post l5 above and We preferably provide a transverse foot bar below the spring bar M! to hold the latter against 49 to support the users feet, and a suitable clamp appreciable vertical sliding upon the post. Stops H is provided for securing this foot bar upon any 23 have also been shown on said post under the desired portion of the longitudinally arched bar front end of the spring bar l2 to support the i2. In the present showing, the clamp 4| is engaged with the front extremity of the bar I2, in advance of the steering post l5, but said clamp may Well embrace any other portion of said bar 12 to position the foot bar for the users convenience.

It will be seen that the entire structure is relatively simple and inexpensive, yet that it will be very desirable and will give a great deal of enjoyment. When one or both of the bars I2, 20 is/ are formed from spring metal, sufficient yielding will occur in use to prevent the user from being uncomfortably jolted. Moreover, when bar 20 is formed from spring metal, the rear portion of this bar yieldably supports the seat while the front end of said bar is yieldably supporting the frame structure. Even if one or the other of the bars I2, 20 be inherently rigid, the other of these bars will resiliently mount the frame upon the steering post, but when either bar is rigid, its front end must of course be so connected with the steering post that it may slide thereon during yielding of the other bar.

Excellent results have been obtained from the details of construction shown and described and they are, therefore, preferably followed. However, attention is again invited to the possibility of making variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coasting device, an elongated sheet metal runner plate, and two parallel vertical sheet metal gussets over the central longitudinal portion of said runner plate and having horizontal outwardly projecting flanges at their lower edges secured upon said runner plate, said gussets being spaced apart to receive'a frame member therebetween and having inwardly stamped upper edge portions secured to each other.

2. A coasting device comprising front and rear runners each having a pair of upwardly projecting laterally spaced plates, alongitudinally arched one-piece spring bar of flat cross section, the rear end of said spring bar being pivoted between said plates of the rear runner, the front end of said spring bar being directed forwardly and having a circular opening above said plates of the front runner, a second spring bar of flat cross section rigidly secured between its ends upon the crown portion of said arched spring bar, the rear end of said second bar being curved upwardly from said crown portion and provided with a seat, the front portion of said second spring bar being directed forwardly and having a circular opening above the aforesaid circular opening, a vertical steering post passing rotatably through said two circular openings and having a flat lug on its lower end pivoted between the aforesaid plate of said front runner, the upper end of said steering post being provided with means whereby it may be turned, and projecting means fixedly carried by said steering post and underlying the front ends of both of said spring bars.

3. In a coasting device, an elongated one-piece sheet metal runner plate having its central longitudinal portion stamped upwardly to provide a longitudinal snow groove in the bottom of the plateand a longitudinal reinforcing ridge on the top of said plate, said plate having its longitudinal edges bent downwardly to provide snow-crustand-ice-engaging-flanges which further reinforce said plate, and two horizontally elongated parallel vertically positioned sheet metal plates at opposite sides of said ridge and having outwardly bent reinforcing-and-attaching-flanges on their lower edges, said flanges being secured upon said runner plate, said two vertical plates having upper edges which decline to the front and rear ends thereof, said declined edges of said two vertical plates having inwardly bent elongated platespacing-and-reinforcing-portions secured to each other,

ALLEN M. FLANDERS. JOSEPH T. DESSUREAU. 

